U.S. patent number 10,058,081 [Application Number 15/655,475] was granted by the patent office on 2018-08-28 for fishing reel.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Shimano Inc.. The grantee listed for this patent is Shimano Inc.. Invention is credited to Koji Ochiai.
United States Patent |
10,058,081 |
Ochiai |
August 28, 2018 |
Fishing reel
Abstract
A fishing reel includes a handle, a spool on which a fishing
line is wound, a partially open reel body housing an internal
mechanism converting a rotational force applied to the handle into
a movement to wind the fishing line onto the spool, a lid member
closing the opening of the reel body, and a seal member disposed
between an opening edge portion of the reel body and a lid flat
surface of the lid member. The seal member includes a
shape-retaining portion that holds the shape and a sealing material
that has elasticity.
Inventors: |
Ochiai; Koji (Osaka,
JP) |
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Shimano Inc. |
Sakai, Osaka |
N/A |
JP |
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Assignee: |
Shimano Inc. (Osaka,
JP)
|
Family
ID: |
59655945 |
Appl.
No.: |
15/655,475 |
Filed: |
July 20, 2017 |
Prior Publication Data
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Document
Identifier |
Publication Date |
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US 20180110209 A1 |
Apr 26, 2018 |
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Foreign Application Priority Data
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Oct 20, 2016 [JP] |
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2016-205641 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A01K
89/0114 (20130101); A01K 89/01085 (20150501); A01K
89/006 (20130101); A01K 89/0192 (20150501); A01K
89/01127 (20150501); A01K 89/011221 (20150501); A01K
89/01121 (20150501); A01K 89/01928 (20150501) |
Current International
Class: |
A01K
89/01 (20060101); A01K 89/00 (20060101); A01K
89/015 (20060101) |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
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0 860 112 |
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Aug 1998 |
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EP |
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2002-10728 |
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Jan 2002 |
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JP |
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2009-106233 |
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May 2009 |
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JP |
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2014-131491 |
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Jul 2014 |
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JP |
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Other References
European Search Report of corresponding EP Patent Application No.
17 18 6772.4 dated Mar. 26, 2018. cited by applicant.
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Primary Examiner: Marcelo; Emmanuel M
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Global IP Counselors, LLP
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A fishing reel, comprising: a handle; a spool on which a fishing
line is capable of being wound; a reel body having an opening, and
housing an internal mechanism configured to convert a rotational
force applied to the handle into movement to wind the fishing line
onto the spool; a lid member configured to close the opening of the
reel body; and a seal member disposed between abutting surfaces of
the reel body and the lid member, and including a shape-retaining
portion configured to hold a shape and a sealing material having
elasticity, the sealing material and the shape-retaining portion
being formed from different materials.
2. The fishing reel recited in claim 1, wherein the abutting
surfaces have three-dimensional shapes, and the seal member has a
shape that corresponds to the three-dimensional shapes of the
abutting surfaces.
3. The fishing reel recited in claim 1, wherein at least one of the
reel body and the lid member comprises a locking portion, and the
seal member comprises an engagement portion for positioning
configured to engage the locking portion.
4. The fishing reel recited in claim 1, wherein the shape-retaining
portion has a rigidity with which the shape of the seal member is
capable of being retained in a static state.
5. The fishing reel recited in claim 1, wherein the shape-retaining
portion comprises a first surface facing the reel body and a second
surface facing the lid member, and the sealing material comprises a
first sealing material disposed on the first surface and a second
sealing material disposed on the second surface.
6. The fishing reel recited in claim 5, wherein a cross-section of
the shape-retaining portion orthogonal to a longitudinal direction
is substantially rectangular, and the first and second surfaces are
substantially parallel.
7. The fishing reel recited in claim 1, wherein the seal member is
disposed in a groove disposed in the abutting surface of the reel
body or an abutting surface of the lid member.
8. A fishing reel, comprising: a handle; a spool on which a fishing
line is capable of being wound; a reel body having an opening, and
housing an internal mechanism configured to convert a rotational
force applied to the handle into movement to wind the fishing line
onto the spool; a lid member configured to close the opening of the
reel body; and a seal member disposed between abutting surfaces of
the reel body and the lid member, and including a shape-retaining
portion configured to hold a shape and a sealing material having
elasticity, the sealing material being adhered to the
shape-retaining portion so as to continuously cover at least a
portion of the shape-retaining portion around an entire perimeter
in a longitudinal direction.
9. A fishing reel, comprising: a handle; a spool on which a fishing
line is capable of being wound; a reel body having an opening, and
housing an internal mechanism configured to convert a rotational
force applied to the handle into movement to wind the fishing line
onto the spool; a lid member configured to close the opening of the
reel body; and a seal member disposed between abutting surfaces of
the reel body and the lid member, and including a shape-retaining
portion configured to hold a shape and a sealing material having
elasticity, the shape-retaining portion being metal, synthetic
resin, or composite reinforced resin, and the sealing material
being an elastomeric material.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application claims priority to Japanese Patent Application No.
2016-205641, filed on Oct. 20, 2016. The entire disclosure of
Japanese Patent Application No. 2016-205641 is hereby incorporated
herein by reference.
BACKGROUND
Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a fishing reel.
Description of the Related Art
A fishing reel is a reel for winding a fishing line that has been
released (cast). The fishing line is wound on a spool by turning a
handle attached to the reel. For example, in a spinning reel, a
rotor is rotated by turning the handle, and a bail arm attached to
the rotor guides the fishing line to be wound onto the spool.
Further, a bait reel rotates the spool by turning the handle to
wind the fishing line.
In a spinning reel, a rotor drive mechanism for rotating a rotor by
turning the handle, and an oscillating mechanism for driving the
spool back and forward, are receipted inside a reel body. The reel
body has a side surface that is open in order to assemble the power
transmission mechanisms therein. The opening is closed by a lid
member after assembling the power transmission mechanisms inside
the reel body.
In use, a fishing reel is generally exposed to fresh water or salt
water. Accordingly, the space between the opening of the reel body
and the lid member is subjected to a waterproof treatment so that
water will not intrude to the power transmission mechanisms inside
the reel body. Waterproofing is carried out by, for example,
disposing a sealing plate between abutting surfaces of an opening
edge portion of the reel body and the lid member, and screwing the
lid member to the reel body (for example refer to Japanese
Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2014-131491).
When waterproofing by disposing a sealing plate between abutting
surfaces of an opening edge portion of the reel body and the lid
member, an annular ring-shaped rubber seal material is used as the
sealing plate. The opening of the reel body is wide in order to
assemble the power transmission mechanisms, and since the opening
is provided in a reel body that matches the shape of the power
transmission mechanism to be housed therein, the opening has a
complex three-dimensional shape. Since it is necessary to seal such
an opening around the entire perimeter, a thick rubber seal is used
as the seal material, in order to provide some rigidity. Further, a
seal groove for disposing such a rubber seal therein is provided in
the opening edge portion of the reel body.
However, since it is necessary to provide a large seal groove in
which a thick rubber seal can be disposed in the opening edge
portion, the sizes of the reel body and the reel are accordingly
increased. Further, since a rubber seal is flexible and tends to
become twisted when placing in the seal groove, the work to
accurately place the rubber seal into the seal groove is
complicated. If the rubber seal is misaligned in the seal groove,
the waterproof performance is insufficient, creating a defective
product, and there is the risk that the yield will be
decreased.
SUMMARY
The present invention was made in order to solve the problem
described above, and an object thereof is to provide a fishing reel
in which the seal between the reel body and the lid member can be
reduced in size, and with which the attachment work is easy.
The fishing reel according to the present invention comprises a
handle, a spool on which a fishing line is wound, a reel body, a
lid member and a seal member. The reel body receipts an internal
mechanism that converts a rotational force applied to the handle
into a movement to wind the fishing line onto the spool. The lid
member closes the opening of the reel body. The seal member is
disposed between an abutting surface of the reel body and an
abutting surface of the lid member, and includes a shape-retaining
portion that holds a shape and a sealing material that has
elasticity.
The abutting surfaces can have a three-dimensional shape, and the
seal member can have a shape that corresponds to the
three-dimensional shapes of the abutting surfaces.
At least one of the reel body and the lid member comprises a
locking portion, and the seal member may comprise an engagement
portion for positioning that engages the locking portion.
The shape-retaining portion can have a rigidity with which the
shape of the seal member is retained in a static state.
The shape-retaining portion comprises a first surface that faces
the reel body and a second surface that faces the lid member, and
the sealing material can comprise a first sealing material disposed
on the first surface and a second sealing material disposed on the
second surface.
The cross-section of the shape-retaining portion, taken orthogonal
to the longitudinal direction, can be substantially rectangular;
and the first surface and the second surface may be substantially
parallel.
The seal member can be disposed in a groove in the reel body or the
lid member.
The sealing material can be adhered to the shape-retaining portion
so as to continuously cover at least a portion of the
shape-retaining portion around the entire perimeter in the
longitudinal direction.
The shape-retaining portion can be made of metal, synthetic resin,
or composite reinforced resin, and the sealing material can be made
of an elastomeric material.
According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a
fishing reel in which the seal between the reel body and the lid
member can be reduced in size, and with which the attachment work
becomes easy.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a side view of a spinning reel according to a first
embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional side view showing the internal
mechanism of the spinning reel shown in FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view showing the unassembled
state of the reel body, the seal member, and the lid member of the
spinning reel shown in FIG. 1.
FIG. 4A is an overall view of the seal member; and FIG. 4B is a
perspective view of the seal member attached to the opening edge
portion of the reel body, shown in FIG. 3, as viewed from the lid
member side.
FIG. 5A is a cross-sectional view of the seal member shown in FIG.
3; FIG. 5B is a cross-sectional view of another seal member; FIG.
5C is a cross-sectional view of another seal member; and FIG. 5D is
a cross-sectional view of another seal member.
FIG. 6 is a partial, enlarged cross-sectional view of the sealing
portion of the lid member fastened by attaching a seal member
between the reel body and the lid member shown in FIG. 3.
FIG. 7A is a perspective view of a stopper member in a state of
being attached to the rear end portion of the reel body; and FIG.
7B is a perspective view of the stopper member.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
First Embodiment
The spinning reel 10 for fishing according to the first embodiment
of the present invention will be described, with reference to the
drawings. While the present invention can be applied to fishing
reels in general, the spinning reel 10 will be described as an
example in the first embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 1, the spinning reel 10 is attached to a fishing
rod R. The spinning reel 10 is a reel for winding a fishing line
onto a spool 130 disposed on the distal end portion thereof,
comprising a reel body (housing) 30 with a handle 20, a rotor 120
rotatably supported on the front of the reel body 30, and a spool
130 disposed on the front portion of the rotor 120 onto which the
fishing line is wound.
As shown in FIG. 1, the reel body 30 comprises a reel body 40, a
lid member 50, and a rod attachment leg 60. As shown in FIG. 2, a
rotor drive mechanism 45 that rotates the rotor 120 by turning the
handle 20, and an oscillating mechanism 46 that reciprocates the
spool 130 back and forward, are disposed inside the reel body 40
(mechanism installation space 42).
The rotor drive mechanism 45 comprises a driveshaft 21 to which is
connected a handle shaft 20a of the handle 20, a drive gear 22 that
is rotated together with the drive shaft 21, and a pinion gear 23
that meshes with the drive gear 22. The driveshaft 21 is, for
example, a tubular shaft made of stainless steel alloy. The drive
shaft 21 is supported on both ends by axle bearings (not shown)
mounted on the reel body 40 and the lid member 50. A female
threaded portion (not shown) for attaching the handle shaft 20a is
formed on the inner surfaces of the two ends of the drive shaft
21.
The pinion gear 23 is a tubular member made of stainless alloy, for
example, and the front portion 23a thereof extends through the
center of the rotor 120. The pinion gear 23 is integrally and
rotatably fixed to the rotor 120 by a nut 24. The nut 24 is fixed
to the rotor 120 by a retainer 25 so as to not become loose. The
intermediate portion and the rear end portion of the pinion gear 23
in the axial direction are rotatably supported in the reel body 40
by axle bearings 26a, 26b, which are attached to the reel body 40
with a space therebetween.
The oscillating mechanism 46 is a mechanism for moving a spool
shaft 140, coupled to the center part of the spool 130 via a drag
mechanism 135, in the longitudinal direction so as to reciprocate
the spool 130 in the same direction. The oscillating mechanism 46
comprises a worm shaft 141 disposed in parallel below the spool
shaft 140, a slider 142 moved in the longitudinal direction along
the worm shaft 141, and an intermediate gear 143 fixed to the
distal end of the worm shaft 141. The worm shaft 141 is disposed in
the longitudinal direction, and is rotatably supported on the reel
body 40. The proximal end of the spool shaft 140 is non-rotatably
coupled to the slider 142. The slider 142 is guided in the
longitudinal direction by two guide shafts (not shown) that are
arranged in the reel body 40 along the longitudinal direction. The
intermediate gear 143 meshes with the pinion gear 23.
The spool shaft 140 extends through the center portion of the
pinion gear 23 and is reciprocated back and forward inside the
pinion gear 23 by the oscillating mechanism 46. The spool shaft 140
is supported rotatably and movably in the axial direction, at the
center portion by an axle bearing 146 mounted in the nut 24, and at
the rear portion by the inner surface of the rear portion of the
pinion gear 23.
The spool 130 is a member on which the fishing line is wound. The
spool shaft 130 is supported on the distal end portion of the spool
shaft 140 of the oscillating mechanism 46. The spool 130 is
integrally reciprocated with the spool shaft 140 in the
longitudinal direction in synchronization with the rotation of the
rotor 120.
The rotor 120 is a member for winding the fishing line onto the
spool 130. The rotor 120 is fixed to the front portion of the
pinion gear 23 of the oscillating mechanism 46, and is integrally
rotated with the pinion gear 170 by manually turning the handle
20.
The reel body 40 is made of, for example, aluminum alloy or
magnesium alloy. As shown in FIG. 3, a mechanism installation space
42 is disposed inside the reel body 40. As described above, the
rotor drive mechanism 45 and the oscillating mechanism 46 are
disposed in the mechanism installation space 42, but these
mechanisms are omitted in FIG. 3. The side surface direction of the
mechanism installation space 42 is open and has a three-dimensional
shape so as to dispose these mechanisms. A flat opening edge
portion (abutting surface) extends around the perimeter of the
opening. The opening edge portion 44 is the portion that abuts the
lid member 50 described later. Two locking pins (locking portion)
48a, 48b are disposed on the opening edge portion 44. A stepped
portion (groove portion) 44a, having a rectangular shaped
cross-section, is formed around the entire perimeter of the opening
edge portion 44, at the innermost side thereof (the inner side,
that is, the portion that faces the opening). Meanwhile, the
stepped portion 44a is not necessarily at the inner side, and may
be disposed in any position in the opening edge portion 44.
A semicircular first flange 41 is formed in front of the mechanism
installation space 42 of the reel body 40. In addition, screw holes
47a, 47b (screw hole 47b is in a position that cannot be seen in
FIG. 3) for attaching the lid member 50 are disposed in front of
the reel body 40. Screw holes 47c, 47d for attaching the lid member
50 are disposed in the rear of the reel body 40.
The opening of the mechanism installation space 42 is closed by the
lid member 50. The lid member 50 is made of, for example, aluminum
alloy or magnesium alloy. A seal member 70 is disposed between the
lid member 50 and the reel body 40. Details of the seal member 70
will be described later.
A semicircular second flange 52, which forms a circular flange
portion together with the first flange 41 of the reel body 40, is
disposed in the front portion of the lid member 50. Two screw
insertion holes 54a. 54b are vertically spaced apart in front of
the second flange 52. Screws 59a, 59b are respectively inserted
into the screw insertion holes 54a, 54b, and are respectively
screwed into the screw holes 47a, 47b in the front portion of the
reel body 40. The screw insertion holes 54a. 54b, and the two
screws 59a, 59b, are covered by a cover member 51.
Screw insertion holes 54c, 54d, into which the screws 59c, 59d can
respectively be inserted, are formed in the rear portion of the lid
member 50 (screw insertion hole 54d is in a position not visible in
FIG. 3). The screws 59c, 59d extend through the screw insertion
holes 54c, 54d, and are respectively screwed into screw holes 47c,
47d in the rear portion of the reel body 40. The lid member 50 is
fixed to the reel body 40 by the four screws 59a, 59b, 59c,
59d.
A lid flat surface (abutting surface) 55 is formed on the side of
the lid member 50 that faces the opening of the reel body 40, in a
position that corresponds to the opening edge portion 44. As
described above, an endless (annular) seal member 70 is disposed
between the opening edge portion 44 and the lid flat surface 55.
More specifically, the seal member 70 is disposed between the
stepped portion 44a of the opening edge portion 44 and the lid flat
surface 55. The space between the reel body 40 and the lid member
50 is thereby sealed. Stepped portion 44a prevents a gap from
forming between the lid member 50 and the reel body 40 when the lid
member 50 is assembled to the reel body 40. While the lid flat
surface 55 has a sufficiently wide width to abut against the
opening edge portion 44 of the seal member 70, it is not necessary
to provide a groove for receiving the seal member 70.
As shown in FIG. 4A, the seal member 70 is a three-dimensional,
continuous endless (annular) seal member that is shaped to match
the shape of the opening of the reel body 40, that is, the shape of
the opening edge portion 44. The seal member 70 comprises
engagement rings (engagement portion for positioning) 72a, 72b at
two locations. The engagement rings 72a, 72b are disposed in
positions corresponding to the locking pins 48a, 48b disposed on
the opening edge portion 44. The seal member 70 is accurately
disposed in the stepped portion 44a by externally fitting the
engagement rings 72a, 72b on the locking pins 48a, 48b. In the
first embodiment, two pairs, the engagement ring 72a and locking
pin 48a, and the engagement ring 72b and locking pin 48b, of an
engagement ring/locking pin pair for positioning are provided, but
there may be only one pair. However, if the opening is large, it is
preferable in terms of positioning to have two or more pairs.
As shown in FIG. 4B, the seal member 70 is positioned and disposed
in the stepped portion 44a, by externally fitting the engagement
rings 72a, 72b to the locking pins 48a, 48b disposed on the opening
edge portion 44. In FIG. B4B, the opening edge portion 44 is
cross-hatched forth sake of clarity. Further, the mechanism inside
the mechanism installation space 42 is not shown, in order to avoid
complication. Meanwhile, since the stepped portion 44a is below the
seal member 70, the stepped portion is not visible in FIG. B4B.
As shown in FIG. 5A, the seal member 70 is formed from an endless
shape-retaining portion 80 made of metal or resin, and a sealing
material 90, which is an elastomeric material, formed on the
surface of the shape-retaining member 80. The thickness of the seal
member 70 is H1.
The cross-section that is orthogonal to the longitudinal direction
of the shape-retaining portion 80 is formed in a rectangular, or
substantially rectangular shape around the entire perimeter. A
first surface 81 of the shape-retaining portion 80 is a surface
which faces the reel body 40, and a second surface 82 is a surface
which faces the lid member 50. The first surface 81 and the second
surface 82 are parallel, or substantially parallel.
The shape-retaining portion 80 has a rigidity of a degree with
which the three-dimensional shape of the seal member 70
corresponding to the open edge portion 44 can be substantially
maintained in a static state (when left standing). "Substantially
maintain the three-dimensional shape" means that the shape will be
deformed, but will not collapse, due to its own weight without
support, and that the three-dimensional shape corresponding to the
opening edge portion 44 can be easily recovered by being supported
by hand.
As shown in FIG. 4A, the shape-retaining portion 80 comprises two
engagement rings 72a, 72b, each of which has a hole. The engagement
rings 72a, 72b may be attached by welding, adhesion, etc., after
forming the annular shape-retaining portion 80, or may be
integrally formed with the annular shape-retaining member 80.
In terms of metal materials, the material of the shape-retaining
portion 80 may be any material that can be processed to be thin,
and that has a certain degree of rigidity, such as stainless steel,
aluminum (alloy), nickel (alloy), and titanium (alloy). Examples of
resin materials that can be used include thermosetting resins, such
as phenol resin, epoxy resin, and urea resin; and thermoplastic
resins such as PVC (polyvinyl chloride), ABS (acrylonitrile
butadiene styrene) resin, and acrylic resin. In addition, a
composite reinforced resin in which various reinforcing materials
are combined with resin may be used as well.
The sealing material 90 is adhered to the shape-retaining portion
80 so as to continuously cover at least a portion of the
shape-retaining portion around the entire perimeter in the
longitudinal direction. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 5A, the
sealing material 90 comprises a first sealing material 91 and a
second sealing material 92. The first sealing material 91 is
adhered on the first surface 81 of the shape-retaining portion 80
in a semicircular or substantially semicircular shape, around the
entire perimeter in the longitudinal direction. A semicircular
shape is formed in order to increase the sealing function, by
forming the abutting portion of the sealing material 90 into a
convex curved surface, that is, by forming such that the width is
narrower toward an abutting side, so that the contact area is
gradually wider when compressed at the time of contact. The first
surface 81 is a surface that faces the reel body 40, when the seal
member 70 is disposed in the stepped portion 44a. Therefore, the
first sealing material 91 comes into contact with the stepped
portion 44a of the reel body 40.
The second sealing material 92 is adhered on the second surface 82
of the shape-retaining portion 80 in a semicircular or
substantially semicircular shape, around the entire perimeter in
the longitudinal direction. The reason for forming a semicircular
shape is as above described shape of the first sealing material 91.
The second surface 82 is a surface that faces the lid member 50,
when the seal member 70 is disposed in the stepped portion 44a.
Therefore, the second sealing material 92 comes into contact with
the lid flat surface 55 of the lid member 50, when covering the lid
member 50 on the reel body 40.
Examples of materials that can be used for the sealing material 90
include rubber, such as natural or synthetic rubber, silicone
rubber, and fluoric rubber; or styrene based, olefin based, vinyl
chloride based, urethane based, and amide based thermoplastic
elastomers. A thermoplastic elastomer can be used when
manufacturing the seal member 70 by insert molding.
The first sealing material 91 and the second sealing material 92
can be attached to the shape-retaining member 80 by, for example,
insert molding. That is, molds that have the outer shapes of the
first sealing material 91 and the second sealing material 92 are
respectively prepared; the respective frames are attached to the
two sides of the shape-retaining portion 80; and an elastomeric
material, which is the material of the first sealing material 91
and the second sealing material 92, is heated and injected into the
molds. In order to improve the adhesion between the shape-retaining
portion 80 and the sealing material 90, it is possible to modify
the surface of the shape-retaining portion 80, or to apply a
primer. Further, an elastomeric material that has effective
adhesiveness with the material of the shape-retaining portion 80
can be selected. In this manner, when carrying out insert molding,
commonly used techniques may be appropriately employed.
As shown in FIG. 6, the seal member 70 is formed to have a width
(the vertical direction length as viewed in FIG. 6) that
substantially fits in the stepped portion 44a. The height H2 of the
stepped portion 44a is smaller than the height H1 of the seal
member 70. Accordingly, when the lid member 50 is placed on the
reel body 40 and fastened by the four screws 59a-59d, the first
sealing material 91 of the seal member 70 is pressed by the stepped
portion 44a, and is elastically deformed to come in close contact
with the stepped portion 44a. Further, the second sealing material
92 is pressed by the lid flat surface 55, and is elastically
deformed to come in close contact with the lid flat surface 55. A
watertight seal is thereby completed between the reel body 40 and
the lid member 50.
The height H2 of the stepped portion 44a and the height H1 of the
seal member 70 are adjusted such that, when the lid member 50 is
tightened and the opening edge portion 44 and the lid flat surface
55 are put in close contact with each other, appropriate pressure
is applied to the seal member 70, appropriately deforming the first
sealing material 91 and the second sealing material 92, such that a
sealing function is exerted. Since a stepped portion 44a is formed
in the opening edge portion 44 and a seal member 70 is disposed in
the stepped portion 44a, when viewed from the outside (in FIG. 6,
the lower side is the outside and the upper side is the inside), no
gap is created between the reel body 40 and the lid member 50,
resulting in a good appearance.
When mounting the seal member 70 according to the first embodiment,
first, the engagement rings 72a. 72b are externally fitted to the
locking pins 48a, 48b of the reel body 40, respectively, to thereby
perform the positioning, after which the position of the seal
member 70 is finely adjusted manually so that the entirety thereof
is fitted in the stepped portion 44a. Since the seal member 70
itself retains the shape, the positional adjustment at this time is
easy.
In this manner, since the seal member 70 has a shape-retaining
property due to the shape-retaining portion 80, the seal member is
not twisted when being disposed in the stepped portion 44a of the
reel body 40, and installation becomes easy. Furthermore, since the
seal member 70 comprises engagement rings 72a, 72b, positioning is
easy by externally fitting to the locking pins 48a, 48b of the reel
body 40. Accordingly, installation is easier. This effect is
particularly great when the opening is large, and has a complex
shape. Further, positioning is further facilitated by providing a
stepped portion 44a, which also improves the outer appearance.
Further, since the seal member 70 according to the first embodiment
has a shape-retaining property (rigidity) by the shape-retaining
portion 80 made of metal or resin, it is possible to reduce the
size, compared to a conventional seal member, which is given a
certain degree of rigidity by only a sealing material. Further,
since the shape-retaining portion 80 is made of metal or resin, it
is possible to provide sufficient rigidity thereto, even with a
small size. Accordingly, since the width (or the radius) of the
seal member 70 is small compared to when a seal member is formed by
only a sealing material, it is possible to reduce the width of the
position in which the seal member is disposed. Furthermore, since
the positional displacement of the seal member 70 is small, it is
possible to narrow the width (dimensional tolerance) of the opening
edge portion 44 of the reel body 40, and to reduce the size of the
reel body 40. Thus, it is possible to design a compact reel.
Second Embodiment
The second embodiment of the present invention is described with
reference to FIG. 7A and FIG. 7B. A reel body rear end portion 101
of the reel body 40 is positioned immediately behind the worm shaft
141 of the oscillating mechanism 46 that is incorporated in the
mechanism installation space 42 of the reel body 40. An opening,
which is not shown, is disposed in the reel body rear end portion
101, on the axis of the worm shaft 141, and a stopper member 103
with an irregular thin plate shape is fixed to the reel body rear
end portion 101 by two screws 107 so as to close the opening (refer
to FIG. 7A).
As shown in FIG. 7B, a sealing material 105 is attached to the back
surface of the stopper member 103 (the surface that abuts the reel
body rear end portion 101), in a position surrounding the perimeter
of the opening, or along the outer perimeter of the stopper member
103. The sealing material 105 is a waterproof seal for sealing the
space between the reel body rear end portion 101 and the stopper
member 103.
The stopper member 103 can be made of metal, such as stainless
steel, and the scaling material 105 can be made of an elastomeric
material. The materials described in the first embodiment can be
used as the elastomeric material. The sealing material 105 is
attached to the stopper member 103 in advance in a position around
the opening by insert molding, for example. Accordingly, a
sufficient waterproof effect can be obtained by simply attaching
the stopper member 103, to which the sealing material 105 is
attached, as is.
In a conventional method in which a separate sealing material is
sandwiched and fastened between the reel body rear end portion 101
and the stopper member 103, if the position of the separate sealing
material is displaced, due to twisting, or the like, sufficient
waterproof performance cannot be obtained, creating a defective
product, and there is the risk that the yield will be decreased. In
contrast, by using the stopper member 103, in which the sealing
material 105 is attached in advance to the position described
above, it is possible to easily and reliably ensure a waterproof
function by simply fastening with screws.
Modified Example
In the first embodiment, the seal member 70 is configured such that
the shape-retaining portion 80 is rectangular, and a semicircular
first sealing material 91 and second sealing material 92 are
respectively disposed on the first and second surfaces 81 and 82
thereof. The first sealing material 91 and the second sealing
material 92 have shapes that cover only portions of each surface,
but the shapes thereof are not limited. For example, as shown in
FIG. 5B, the first and second sealing material 91 and 92 may be
formed so as to respectively cover the entirety of the first and
second surfaces 81 and 82. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 5C, the
sealing materials may be formed so as to cover the entire
shape-retaining portion 80. Further, the shape of the
shape-retaining portion 80 is not limited to a rectangular shape,
and may be a polygonal shape or an irregular shape. Alternatively,
as shown in FIG. 5D, the cross section of the shape-retaining
portion 80 may be elliptical or circular. Any combination of the
shape of the shape-retaining portion 80 and the shape of the
sealing material 90 is possible.
In the first embodiment, insert molding is used as the
manufacturing method of the seal member 70. However, any
manufacturing method may be used, as long as the method is for
attaching and forming an elastomeric material on a metal plate or a
resin plate. For example, bonding using an adhesive may be
employed, or a three-dimensional laminating method, such as a 3D
printer, may be used as well.
In the first embodiment, the reel body 40 includes locking pins
48a. 48b, and the seal member 70 is disposed in the stepped portion
44a disposed to the reel body 40. However, locking pins 48a. 48b
may be disposed on the lid flat surface 55 of the lid member 50,
and a stepped portion (groove) 44a may be disposed to the lid flat
surface 55, to thereby dispose the seal member 70 to the lid member
50. Further, of the two locking pins 48a, 48b, one locking pin 48a
may be disposed on the reel body 40 and the other locking pin 48b
may be disposed on the lid flat surface 55 of the lid member 50, to
lock both the reel body 40 and the lid member 50.
In the first embodiment, the seal member 70 is disposed between the
reel body 40 and a lid member 50 on the side surface of the reel
body. However, the position to which the seal member 70 is disposed
is not limited thereto. The seal member may be disposed between an
opening and a lid member that covers the opening (not necessarily
called a "lid member," and may be a different member that requires
a seal in the connection portion thereof), at any position of the
reel body 40. Additionally, the invention may be applied not only
to a spinning reel, but to a portion of the reel body of a bait
reel that requires a seal.
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